Data processing systems, such as general purpose computer systems, often include a display device which can provide the user with a graphical user interface that can be used to operate the computer system. Examples of such graphical user interfaces include Mac OS X from Apple Computer, Inc. of Cupertino, Calif., and Windows XP from Microsoft of Redmond, Wash. Both of these user interfaces provide a file management system user interface as well as a user interface for opening or saving documents. In the case of the Macintosh operating system, the file management system user interface is typically a program referred to as the “Finder.” This program allows a user to copy files, move subdirectories (e.g. a folder) from one subdirectory to another subdirectory, to create subdirectories such as folders and to rename or remove the subdirectories and to launch application programs (e.g. launch a word processing program), either by opening a file or opening the application program itself. Moreover, files may be moved between subdirectories or deleted or renamed or duplicated using the Finder program. The Windows Explorer program which operates on the Windows XP operating system provides similar functionality. Both programs display the information concerning files and subdirectories (such as folders) in moveable windows which may be resized or minimized or closed. Multiple windows may be displayed at once and the windows may be overlapping or tiled and they may be moved around the display area.
Using either of these programs, a user may browse or search through the directories or subdirectories and storage media, such as hard disks, or removable media such as optical media (such as a CD or DVD).
FIG. 9A shows an example of a prior art window in the Jaguar version of the Macintosh OS X (10.2) user interface. The window 901 includes a tool bar region 903 and an icon display region 902 which displays the contents of a particular subdirectory or group of subdirectories as selected by a user. The particular view shown in FIG. 9A is an icon view selected by clicking or selecting the button 904 shown in the window 901. The window 901 also includes a resizing control 907 which may be dragged in a known manner to change the size of the window 901. Further, the window 901 also includes view buttons 905 and 906 which may be selected by a user to show either a list view or a column view, respectively. The window also includes a close button 909, a minimize button 910 and a maximize button 911. The tool bar region 903 provides the user with the ability to drag objects, such as files or folders or application programs, into the tool bar region. For example, a user may drag the Pictures folder into the tool bar region 903 or may drag a particular document or file (such as a word processing document) into the tool bar region 903. This allows the user to obtain access to a particular folder or file by just selecting (e.g. “clicking”) the object which has been dragged into the tool bar region. Upon selecting an object or icon in the tool bar region, the contents of that object are displayed within the region 902. For example, if the user has dragged the Pictures folder from the region 902 into the tool bar region 903, then a selection or clicking of the Pictures folder in the tool bar region 903 will cause the contents (in this case, 8 items) of the Pictures folder to be displayed within the region 902. The ability to place objects in the tool bar region is limited to the Finder in the Jaguar operating system, and a user customizable system does not appear in an open user interface window or a save user interface window. Further, the tool bar region as shown in FIG. 9A is not scrollable, although additional items may be accessed by selecting the double arrow in the far right of the tool bar region 903.
FIG. 9B shows another example of a user interface of a file management system, which in this case is the Windows Explorer program on a Windows operating system. The Windows Explorer window 925 includes a left portion 927 and a right portion 929. The left portion 927 displays the various media and directories and subdirectories which are accessible by the system. This region is not user customizable but reflects the actual folders and files and drives which are available to the system. The region 929 shows the contents of a particular folder or subdirectory which has been selected in the left portion 927.
While these foregoing systems provide great power and flexibility to a user, it can at times be difficult for a user to find a particular file or folder.